The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-03-17
[Shelby New Era.1


The session of 1887 is thing oi the
past, and the people of the State of
North Carolina will now consider its
results. In many respects this has
been remarkable Legislature. 1t has
wasted more time and done more work,
given more thought to nothing and
passed matters of grave moment with
more recklessness, and has been more
extravagant and more penurious than
any Legislature that has set since 1868.
The haste with which the business
of the House of Representatives was
transacted during the last ten days of
the session was not creditable to the
members nor conducive to good legis-
lation, but it is not likely that any
harm has resulted therefrom, as be-
cause of it and the extreme care exer-
cised by Lieutenant Governor Sted-
man, the Senate was more careful than
usual. Had the Republicans not forced
the House to waste the earlier days of
the session IN foolish wrangle over sub
jects of Federal Legislation, there
would have been no occasion for the
unseemly rush of the latter days.
A large number of bills have been
passed, most of them of private char
acter. Of new general legislation, the
most important measures have been the
establishment of the Agricultural Col
lege, the new provisions of the Ma
chinery Act, the establishment OF the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the ap-
preparation OF convicts for various
works of internal improvement.
The new Machinery Act was largely
the result of the Tax Commission pro-
vided for by the Act of 1885, and is
without doubt, an admirable law tha
will correct many of the existing in
equalities of taxation. The advant
ages of the other new legislation are a
least problematical. The Agricultural
College was demanded by the farmer
and was regarded as concession t.
them. Whether it produce the result
looked for, will depend largely upol
the management. In some of tn
States Agricultural Colleges have beer
great successes, in others woeful fail
ures. The Bureau of Labor Statistic
was a sop thrown to the Knights @
Labor, and was silly piece of legisla
ton. All that it is expected to &C
complish, except certain political pur
poses, is already done by the Fedora
Government. The appointment c
Mr.. Jones as commissioner has antag
onized the Knights of Labor NOR
than the enactment of the law placate
them.
Nor can the large appropriation
convicts be justified upon good primo
pies of State policy. The Cape Fes
and Yadkin Valley bill was predicate
upon contract binding in morals,
; not in law; but there is no such d.
j fense for the ssswamp bin" Avowedl
: for the purpose of developing the scho
t lands of the State, it was opposed t
: the Board of Education. The on
reason of its passage was that it w
supposed to help certain Eastern coul
r ties, and its advocates claimed tn
t the West had been using convicts lor
o enough and the East should have
S chance. They forgot that most Of Il
S convicts that have been employed
i Western North Carolina have be'
paid for and, where they were not,
was because the State, and not simp
l. certain counties, received bene
n more than equal to the cost of the co
Of vict labor. Fortunately, the rcduc
ii appropriation for the penitentiary W
cut off much of the loss that mig
$. have been occasioned by the "swar
bill"
The reduction of the State tax-le
Z. to twenty cents on the hundred doll;
and of the poll tax to sixty cents "
:. probably prove unfortunate. VIII
hnanciers differ upon that point,
opinion of those in the best position
en- know, including the State officials
this department, is that this tax v
not produce sufficient revenue, es
with what available resources tn
may be in the Treasury, to meet
expense of State Government. A {
ficit in the public Treasury, with
consequent necessity for an extra
sion of the General Assembly, wo
be a misfortune indeed Yet un
" there be considerable increase in
valuation of the property of the ST
this will be the result. Looked at Fl
, a purely political point of view,
Democrats have made a great sue
!. OF the recent session. With the He
organized against them and majo
i'd, that, for the first week OF the sess
defeated them every time, they